AFC CUP: JDT first team to break monopoly of West Asian clubs - FAM

The Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) club is the first East Asian team to successfully break the monopoly of West Asian teams in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup tournament.

Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) secretary-general, Datuk Hamidin Mohd Amin said JDT was the sole club from East Asia, including South East Asia, to emerge champions in the second biggest championship in Asia, which prior to this was monopolised by clubs from West Asian nations like Kuwait, Jordan, Bahrain, Syria and Uzbekistan.

"Since the AFC Cup was introduced in 2004, no East Asian team had won the championship until JDT created history last night. Year-by-year, representatives from Malaysia could only make it to the quarter-finals.

"On behalf of the President of FAM, Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, FAM executive committee's line up and staff, I congratulate JDT for emerging as champions of the AFC Cup this year," he said in a statement, today.

JDT became champions after beating FC Istiklol from Tajikistan 1-0 in the final at the Central Republican Stadium, Dushanbe, last night, to simultaneously erase their disappointment in failing at the group level during their debut in 2009, when they were known as Johor FC.

The sole goal of the match was scored by Leandro Sebastian Velazquez in the 22nd minute while JDT captain Safiq Rahim was crowned as most valuable player.

Hamidin, who witnessed the match with FAM deputy president Datuk Seri Afandi Hamzah, said the success of the Southern Tigers squad must be emulated and become an inspiration to other teams in Malaysia to harbour high ambitions to achieve success at the international level.

"On FAM's part, we are always ready to give continuous assistance and support in the future including in the aspect of rescheduling the domestic leagues so they are not overly tight for national representatives at the AFC Cup Championship, and clearly, it has to a certain extent, aided JDT in advancing to the final match this year," he said.

He also congratulated the patron of the Johor Football Association, Tunku Mahkota of Johor, Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim who was the backbone in changing the Johor football landscape prompting JDT to be successful at the domestic and international levels.

The action of FIFA in suspending the Kuwait Football Association, prevented its teams, Qadsia SC (defending champions) and Kuwait SC from playing in the semi-final, also paved the way for JDT to the final.

As champions, JDT took home the AFC Cup trophy, which was handed over personally by the Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Almarhum Sultan Iskandar, and US$350,000 (RM1.502 million) while Istiklol FC won US$250,000 (RM1.072 million) as runners up.

The success was the third trophy won by JDT this season after emerging champions in Sumbangsih Cup (Sultan Ahmad Shah Cup) via a 2-0 win over Pahang at the Tan Sri Hassan Yunos Stadium, Larkin on Jan 31 and the 2015 Super League.